Monarch Of Time

Chapter 1045 1045 Realm of Dao Emperors

The next time he opened his eyes, Shun Long found himself inside the foggy space, with the figure of a massive black beast looming over him. Little Blackʼs bright azure eyes were staring at him in silence, but the cold stream coming out of his nostrils made it clear that the black dragonʼs emotions werenʼt as subdued as they appeared on the outside.

After looking around for a moment and realizing where he was, Shun Long propped himself up with some difficulty, only for a sharp surge of pain to burst out of his body, nearly causing him to lose consciousness again.

Every muscle of his screamed in protest as he tried to sit up. His arms hurt like theyʼd been crushed numerous times by something unfathomably heavy. His legs could barely move from the unbearable pain, too, and even his chest and back felt like theyʼd been badly abused in the same manner, all of them on the verge of collapse.

Before he even had time to examine the rest of his body using his soul sense, Shun Long could feel another deep surge of pain coming out, causing him to audibly wince this time.

Little Blackʼs eyes flickered when he saw this, but the black dragon still reigned in his turbulent emotions and stared at his master before he said seriously

ʼʼMaster, donʼt move! You need to rest a bit more. Your body hasnʼt had a chance to recover just yet.ʼʼ

Almost as if realizing what Shun Long was going to ask him, Little Black continued in a swift manner

ʼʼYouʼve been unconscious for 10 days now. The condition of your body is still unstable, and youʼll need at least a couple of weeks more before you can make a full recovery.ʼʼ

Shun Longʼs eyes widened briefly as he struggled to register what heʼd just heard, his calm visage finally giving way to shock.

Heʼd been unconscious for 10 days and he still felt like this? To the point where it was not just his bones... but even his tendons and meridians that felt like they were about to snap?

Then, just how bad were his wounds when heʼd just returned to the foggy space?

At this point, Shun Long had no doubt that heʼd fallen unconscious right after touching that 10th golden step, his body finally giving in to the horrifying pressure from the golden staircase and sending him back to the foggy space.

He didnʼt know what that mysterious white palace or that golden staircase were about or how they worked, or even why heʼd been transported there in the first place right after touching the stele, but there was no point in questioning any of it, either.

He didnʼt have a way to get any answers just yet, and he knew he was bound to find out everything sooner or later anyway.

ʼʼStill, to get injured so badly that even my ʼMonarchʼs Eternal body needs a month to heal from its wounds?ʼʼ

As this thought took form in his mind, Shun Long couldnʼt help but throw another glance at the mysterious stele at the far edge of the foggy space. This time, however, the changes in the stele were even more apparent than before, causing another wave of deathly silence to ensue.

This time, there was no blinding white light coming from the mysterious slab of stone, nor were there any loud humming sounds or audible vibrations.

The situation inside his spiritual sea was the same. The ʼStone of Timeʼ appeared to have turned deathly silent too, no longer rotating in a clockwise motion, nor was there any blue and golden light coming out of it.

But Shun Long wasnʼt satisfied. After struggling to stand up, despite Little Blackʼs not-so-subtle protests for him to rest more, he sent some of his soul sense into the ancient stele and tried to probe it once more, only for the inevitable to happen.

Just like all the previous times he had tried this... well, most of them at least, his soul sense bounced right back at him, unable to penetrate the mysterious artifact.

The white palace and the two angels depicted on it were the same as before, and so were the runes that he could ever-so-faintly make out on the palaceʼs walls.

But there were no changes in any of them. It was almost as if everything heʼd experienced had been nothing but a dream.

Well, aside from the ever-present pain that threatened to tear his body apart and... his newfound strength?

ʼʼWhat the hell is this?ʼʼ

Shun Long clenched his right fist, preparing to throw a light jab into the air — but before his arm could even move, he could feel the surrounding space almost trembling in anticipation!

He could feel that... his power had grown?

ʼʼHowʼs this even possible?ʼʼ

This was the only thought that could properly form in his mind before Shun Long began to analyze every possible scenario.

Clearly, he was still a late-stage Dao King and a peak sixth-stage body refiner. Even though heʼd come to these Scaled Mountains to cultivate in peace and use the drops of immortal water heʼd obtained in the ʼCity of Immortalsʼ to advance to the true peak of the Dao King stage, both in his qi and his body refinement cultivation, the increase in his strength after his breakthrough shouldnʼt have been this much... or at least, not this obvious right away.

But right now, Shun Long could tell that his bodily strength had grown so much, he could probably fight an early rank 1 Dao Emperor bare-handed. He wouldnʼt even need to use his Dao of Time and he could still probably hold his own using just his own body and his Dao of Space!

At the same time, however, Shun Long was certain that he had not broken through to the seventh stage with his ʼMonarchʼs Eternal bodyʼ.

Putting aside how heʼd have to go through another Heavenly Tribulation to do so, there was a clear distinction between the sixth and the seventh stage, and Shun Long could still feel the barrier separating him from the realm of true Dao Emperors.